Roof and floor trusses constructed from dimensional lumber, such as 2 .times. 4's and 2 .times. 6's, have their members joined by metal plates, and such members require very accurate predetermined angle cutting to insure tight fitting joints in the truss. Without tight fitting joints, the truss loses considerable strength. As a result, manufactured trusses must be rejected if the joint gap is too great as a result of inaccurate length or angle cutting.
With the above in mind, the objective of this invention is to provide a machine for cutting roof and floor truss components with high accuracy and rapidly on a repetitive basis.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sawing machine of the above character with provisions for making a wide range of angle cuts with high dimensional accuracy.
Another object is to provide such a machine which may be readily adjusted to perform either "fence line cutting" or "center line cutting" of truss members or like work.
Still another object is to provide a machine capable of firmly holding short lengths of lumber so that various angle cuts can be made without movement of the material or endangering the operator of the machine.
Another object is to provide means for firmly locking the power saw at a preselected angle without play or backlash.
Still another object is to provide a machine of the above-mentioned character which has a retractable work positioning stop or fence.
Another object is to provide a machine of the mentioned character which, following preliminary manual adjustments, is semi-automatic in its operation.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.